Woman dies after car plunges into San Jose pond

An elderly woman died Sunday when she apparently crashed her car into a pond near the intersection of Almaden Expressway and Highway 85.

California Highway Patrol Officer D.J. Sarabia said the woman, whom officers did not identify, was leaving the Almaden Plaza and Costco shopping center parking lot on Almaden Expressway and headed for southbound Highway 85 onramp at 2:45 p.m. when she crashed.

The woman's car inexplicably went straight instead of turning onto the onramp, Sarabia said. It jumped the curb and ran over a chain-link fence, then plunged into a water supply pond near the intersection.

"We don't know why she went straight or how fast she was going," Sarabia said. "We don't know if she suffered a medical episode right before the crash. That's all under investigation."

Two Santa Clara County sheriff's divers watch as a car is pulled from a percolation pond on Almaden Expressway at Highway 85 in San Jose, Calif., Jan. 6, 2013. (Karl Mondon)

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, Sarabia said.

A Santa Clara County sheriff dive team arrived and recovered the woman's body at 3:15 p.m. and she was rushed to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 3:35 p.m., Sarabia said.

The woman was believed to be the vehicle's driver and only occupant, Sarabia said, but teams were still exploring the murky water to check if there were any passengers.